Coming Home
by Livelier
Summary: Sirius isn't exactly sure what to expect once he falls behind that veil. But it certainly wasn't this. Oneshot! R&R?


A/N: I was reading through all of the reviews I've gotten on my one-shots (there's quite a few!) and I was inspired. The reviews on Cloud Nine all said similar things: more! Apparently, everyone liked the idea of James and Lily in the afterlife. And one person gave me the idea of doing Sirius's death. So guess what? Here it is! I hope you all enjoy it. I was tearing up while writing it, but that could have been the music. I'll give you my play list down at the bottom. R&R? Sorry for its rather uninspiring length.

Warning: contains character death (obviously), and some religious themes.

Coming Home

_~ "It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch…" ~_

There was a brilliant flash of light, and the laughter died on Sirius's lips. His eyes widened as he watched the green jet connect with his chest.

Then there was nothing.

_I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry I could never be there for you when you needed me most. I'm sorry I never got a chance to really know you. But I'm all right. I'm going home._

He seemed to be floating somewhere amidst the nothingness. Like God couldn't decide whether he belonged in heaven or in Hell.

An invisible hook dragged him along though the abyss. He felt groggy and lost, like he'd been asleep for a very long time. And he wondered if this was the case: if he'd just woken up from a terrible dream. But looking around himself, he didn't see any of the familiarities of his room in Grimmauld Place. Where were the comforting maroon and gold sheets, and Gryffindor hangings? Where were the reminders of the happiest years of his life —his teenage ones?

He closed his eyes and imagined everything as it had been back then. The Black Lake, the castle, those horrid uniforms, the empty Quidditch pitch, four boys… Images flitted before his eyelids just as if he was watching a slideshow.

The memories were strong as ever. He could almost reach out and…grab them. A light wind tousled his unkempt hair, bringing with it the fresh smell of grass, dust, and sweat —a smell that could only belong to the Quidditch pitch that lay just beyond the entrance gates of Hogwarts.

Sirius's eyes flew open.

Sitting in front of him was his home. Everything was just as he had imagined it. The sun was shining, its reflection sparkling on the surface of the lake; the breeze rustled the leaves on the beech tree by the shore.

A boy with messy black hair was playing with his stolen snitch while a redhead read a book next to him.

Then his mind flashed to another, less pleasant memory, erasing the sweet smell of spring.

It was night, and as Sirius flew around the corner, he hoped for the best. He hoped for this to all be a tragic misunderstanding. They would be fine, sitting around a table playing games they had far outgrown. But he rounded the last turn and his heart plummeted. There was the house in front of him: destroyed, and completely visible. Just inside the front door, his best friend was slumped against the stairwell, unmoving. His wire-rimmed glasses, cracked and broken, were sitting askew on the tip of his nose. Upstairs, Lily was nothing but a heap of red on the floor in front of Harry's crib.

In the present once again, Sirius's eyes zeroed in on the two by the tree. They were wearing the same clothes as they had been on Halloween of 1981, although they seemed to be in much better condition. Sirius peeked down at himself, and saw that he was no longer the grieving, middle-aged man he had been, but the young, lively Hogwarts graduate.

He wasn't sure how long he just stood there, staring at his best friends, contemplating. He could have stood there for a much longer amount of time, but Lily finally glanced up and spotted him on the hill. She turned and whispered something to James. He looked up excitedly, his face glowing with a light Sirius hadn't seen for fourteen years. James's face split into a grin, and Sirius felt sure a long lost piece of his heart had just fallen back into place.

Lily and James slowly began to approach Sirius, holding hands, their eyes never wavering from him. When they reached the hill where Sirius stood, Lily released James's hand and watched the two with a look of anticipation.

For a while, the two stood there just grinning at each other, arms hanging limply at their sides.

Simultaneously, the two best friends stepped forward and embraced, arms tight around each other's shoulders. A few stray tears dropped from his eyes, falling through the air, and splashing onto James's shoulder. He either didn't notice or pretended not to for his friend's sake.

They pulled away from each other after an appropriate amount of time, and Sirius didn't bother to wipe the wet, salty streaks from his cheeks. Somehow, after fourteen years of separation, crying in front of his dead best friend seemed like a silly thing to worry about.

Lily was next. She was crying and laughing and smiling all at the same time. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered, swiping the tears from her eyes as she slid from his grasp and back into James's awaiting arms. "For everything."

Sirius smiled at her, feeling whole again for the first time in a very long time. With the sun setting behind the mountains beyond the lake, and his best friend here with him, he felt happy. Like this is where he truly belonged.

"Welcome home, Padfoot," James said, staring at the horizon. "Welcome home."

* * *

A/N: Like I said earlier, it's short, but I'd still love to hear your thoughts and opinions and critique. I also promised I'd give you my play list, so here you go:

-From Where You Are by Lifehouse

-What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts

-Scientist by Coldplay

-The Only Exception by Paramore

Others, too, but those were played the most. Anyway, I think I'll stop boring you with this exceptionally uninteresting author's note. Review, please!

Love,

Livelier


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